"Under Pressure" - The Truth About High Blood Pressure

So you just found out you have high blood pressure...now what?  Maybe you've had it for a while and have been taking your doctor-recommended medication which is now "controlling" your condition...so you're OK right??...WRONG!

While it is true that prolonged, unaddressed high blood pressure can lead to a greater risk of heart disease and stroke, we must try and find the CAUSE rather than being fixated on the TREATMENT of the "disease".  Treating or controlling the disease still leaves you with...the disease!  Understanding the cause gives you the only true opportunity for a cure or prevention.

"First, tell me the facts..."

As of 2006, about 75 million people over 20 years of age had high blood pressure in the United States...that's 1 in 3!!! (American Heart Association)

"But isn't high blood pressure an inherited disease?"

Let's think of this scenario...If you went up to high altitudes, what would there be less of?...Oxygen!  And our bodies (intelligently!) would recognize this and create a chemical called "erythropoetin" (EE-rith-ro-po-EE-tin).  Now erythropoetin helps our body to create more red blood cells.  Why would our bodies want to do this in an environment with less oxygen??

Well, when there's less oxygen in the air, our bodies want to make sure we get every bit of it that's out there.  And what carries oxygen from our lungs to the rest of the body??...RED BLOOD CELLS!

Did I lose you?!?  There was less oxygen in the air so the body made more red blood cells to make sure we could pick up as much oxygen as possible!  Is this a disease?!?...or an INTELLIGENT response to a stressful environment??

Of course this was an intelligent response!  But guess what?...More red blood cells in your arteries gives you...HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE!!!

Most people with high blood pressure don't have a disease at all, but simply an intelligent response to a stressful environment (that often they are put into by THEMSELVES!)

"So what REALLY causes high blood pressure?"

Very often high blood pressure, or "hypertension", is caused by insulin resistance.  OK, bear with me.  Our pancreas creates a chemical called insulin, a hormone that helps to remove sugar from our blood.  When we consume too much food, especially carbohydrates, our pancreas can release so much insulin that our cells become resistant to it...hence "insulin resistance".

Since insulin stores magnesium, insulin resistance will lead to much of your magnesium being lost in your urine.  One of magnesium's primary roles is as a natural muscle relaxer, and when the body is magnesium deficient, it will increase the tension of the muscles, therefore leading to higher blood pressure!

Insulin resistance can also cause sodium retention.  When the body has too much sodium (salt), it will retain fluid to balance itself out.  Increased fluid retention also causes higher blood pressure!

"What about sugar?"

Sugar consumption, especially fructose, has a profound impact on raising blood pressure.  A study done in 2010 at the University of Colorado - Denver found that consuming 74 grams of fructose per day (about 2.5 sugary drinks) would DRASTICALLY RAISE the risk of developing high blood pressure.

On average the daily consumption of fructose by an American is...70 grams!...and that's an average, which means there are tons of people consuming way more than that every day.

Fructose breaks down into several things that can do harm to the body, one of which is uric acid.  Because elevated uric acid levels inhibit the chemical that maintains the elasticity of your blood vessels (nitric oxide), this can also lead to an increase in blood pressure.

"Doc, just tell me what to do!"

The answer is pretty easy folks...we need to live congruently to our genetic development!

1. Get your spine checked by a chiropractor!  Misalignments, especially of the upper spine, have been shown to drastically elevate blood pressure levels.
2. Eat whole foods!  If it grows from the earth or walks upon it in a natural way, its usually good to eat!
3. Normalize your Omega 6:3 ratio.  Consuming Omega-3 fats has been shown to resensitize insulin receptors of those who are insulin resistant.
4. Eliminate caffeine - proven to elevate blood pressure.
5. Exercise - shown to reduce blood pressure and restore insulin sensitivity.  By the way, 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week won't cut it.  Studies show you need 6-9 hours of relatively intense exercise weekly!  Start slow and work your way there...but get moving!
6. Optimize your Vitamin D blood levels - deficiency has been linked to increased parathyroid function, insulin resistance, and decrease in endorphin release...all shown to increase blood pressure.
7. Manage your stress - stress has been shown to quickly elevate blood pressure.
8. Supplements - getting on a good multi-vitamin/mineral/phytochemical will help.  Vitamins C & E, calcium, and magnesium deficiencies are all implicated in high blood pressure.  However, taking a supplement will never be as good as consuming whole foods!
9. Breastfeeding - The fatty acids in breast milk have been shown to drastically reduce the incidence of high blood pressure in the future for infants who are breastfed for at least 12 months.
10. Prayer - As a Christian, I have definitely experienced the healing power of prayer.  Having a belief in a higher power has actually been proven to increase happiness, overall health, longevity, and reduce blood pressure!

If this seems like a lot, start slow!  It's always easier to add something good before you take away something bad.  Start with the next easiest step and go from there!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

Any questions, please email Dr. Eric at drejchiro@gmail.com

Should Your Sports Drink Be Sidelined??

It is true that the pharmaceutical drug industry records more profits than any other business in our country...even more than the oil business!  However, it is the food and drink industry that spends the most on advertising!  While prescription drug companies together spend a total of $20 billion a year on advertising, the food industry spends TWICE that...nearly $40 billion!!!  And this is all done to brainwash you to think that processed junk is healthy for you and your children.

Today's focus is on "sports drinks".  In 2006, sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and Vitamin Water totalled $7.5 billion in sales, making it the third fastest growing beverage category in the United States. (Beverage Digest, 2007)

So why should I be concerned about these drinks?

Well, simply look at the ingredients: water, high fructose corn syrup, and salt...not exactly the healthiest combination.  Furthermore, the sugar in these drinks make them very acidic.  When you exercise, your mouth gets dry and has less saliva to combat the acidity of these drinks.  So what happens?  They corrode your teeth!

A study in 2005 actually showed most sports drinks to be 30 times more erosive than water to your teeth. (Journal of the American Dental Association, 2005)

The real problem is the sugar...

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the most popular sweetener used in foods and beverages today due to its higher level of sweetness and ability to be produced inexpensively.  Like other sugars, it disrupts your insulin levels and can lead to "insulin resistance".  This has been shown to contribute to or cause NEARLY EVERY CHRONIC DISEASE KNOWN TO MAN, including:

• Obesity and metabolic syndrome (Lancet, 2001 - Children's Hospital, Boston)
• Only 8oz of a sugar-sweetened drink daily increased the risk of obesity by 60%!!!
• Cancer (HPB Oxford, 2007)
• Heart disease (International Journal of Obesity, 2008)
• Diabetes (Physiology and Behavior, 2010)
• Premature aging (Alternative Medicine Review, 2005)
• Arthritis and osteoporosis (Nutrition Reviews, 2008)

(For more information on the dangers of sugar, you may want to read my previous blog entitled "Bitter-Sweet")

So what's the best way to stay hydrated and energized?

I know it's hard to believe...but pure, fresh water is always your best bet!  I like reverse osmosis because it filters out most heavy metals and contaminants.  The next thing you must do is **EAT CONGRUENTLY**.

What does this mean?  Well, over millions of years, our genes have been adapted to consume certain types of foods.  They include (and are preferably organic!):

• locally grown fruits and vegetables
• nuts and seeds
• grass-fed beef and free-range poultry
• water

THAT'S IT!!!  The closer we stick with this diet, the longer we'll live and more disease-free we'll be...plain and simple!  The cool thing is, as difficult as this diet sounds, our bodies are designed to not only consume, but crave these types of foods.  Start off slow as you change your diet over to the "Innate Diet" and you will notice you'll start to not only enjoy, but crave these foods more and more!  I promise!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

Please feel free to post any comments below...God bless!

"Bitter-Sweet" - The Dangers of Sugar

Sugar consumption has increased 45 times over the last 300 years from 4 pounds per year to 180 pounds...per person!  Sugar is found in almost everything today, from fruit juices to bread to barbecue sauce to baby's formula.  In fact, most baby formulas now have as much sugar in them as one can of soda...and we wonder why obesity has become such a deadly epidemic!?

In the last 35 years, the obesity rate in our country has more than doubled, from 15 to 32%.  This has been shown to increase the risk of heart and kidney disease, as well as diabetes.  A little over 100 years ago, the chances of having diabetes was .003%.  Now it stands at 8%.  Although 8% may not sound like much, diabetes is the fastest growing condition today, faster than heart disease and cancer!

"So what kind of sugar should we be looking out for?"

Believe it or not, the typical table sugar, "sucrose", is not the sugar of choice today.  Today, "fructose" is consumed much more, and usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

"But isn't fructose found in healthy things...like fruit?"

Yes!  However, when found in fruit, fructose is accompanied by vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all which prevent any negative metabolic effects.  When our food and beverage companies give us HFCS, it is alone and in HUGE quantities, which leads to metabolic devastation and chaos within our bodies.  HFCS actually contains the same two chemicals as table sugar, "glucose" and "fructose".  The difference is that in HFCS they are not bound together, so our bodies don't have to break them down and can absorb the fructose much more rapidly...Hello liver damage!

"So why do the food and beverage companies give this stuff to us?"

Come on people!...$$$...Surprise surprise!  HFCS, as opposed to regular sugar, is much cheaper and actually 20% sweeter.  The food and beverage companies saw this as a win-win!  There's just one small problem...this stuff is killing us!

"So how does fructose hurt me?"

1. Fructose elevates uric acid which causes blood vessels to constrict (high blood pressure and possible kidney damage)
2. Leads to chronic, low-level inflammation (causes heart attacks, strokes, and even some cancers)
3. Turns off the hormone that makes you feel full (leading to increased appetite, weight gain, and diabetes)
4. Leads to elevated blood sugar and eventual insulin resistance
5. Leads to NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease)

"How worried should I be about uric acid?"

Aside from raising your blood pressure, uric acid has also been shown in thousands of studies to cause: obesity, heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease...just to name a few!

"So what kinds of foods should I be avoiding?"

Almost ALL processed foods contain unsafe levels of fructose, and in combinations that are completely unnatural to our bodies.  You'll also want to avoid the following:

• ALL sweetened sodas, drinks, and juices (This includes diet soda...sorry!)
• Adding extra sugar to your drinks or food
• Alcohol (especially beer as it contains guanosine which leads to uric acid production)
• Sucralose (Splenda - chlorinated and artificial, with detrimental health effects)
• (You may want to read Sweet Deception: Why Splenda, NutraSweet, and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health by Dr. Joseph Mercola)
• Sugar alcohols like xylitol, glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, and erythritol (are incompletely absorbed from your small intestine and can cause problems with bloating, diarrhea and flatulence)

"So what sweeteners are safe?"

If you want to be truly safe you must eat in line with your genetic makeup.  God gave us plenty of sweet foods to enjoy, from blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries, to peaches, melons, oranges, and apples!  These foods are extremely sweet and contain all the other essential nutrients needed (and in the perfect amounts might I add...how convenient!) to make their sugar safe to consume.

If you absolutely need an additional sweetener, try something that's actually natural:

• Organic, raw honey (man will never make anything as well as nature does!)
• Stevia (a highly sweet herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant)
• Agave syrup (make sure it's organic and not processed!)

When we eat whole foods like organic, free-range meats and grass-fed beef, locally grown fruits and vegetables, and raw nuts and seeds, our bodies will get exactly the nutrients they need.  This will help us to develop a normal sugar craving, and we will actually start to crave healthier foods!  Give it a try for a few weeks and see for yourself!  The intelligence of your body will truly amaze you!

For further information on the dangers of sugar, you may want to read The Sugar Fix: The High-Fructose Fallout That Is Making You Fat and Sick by Dr. Richard Johnson.  It's a great resource that lists 76 additional dangers of the over-consumption of unnatural sugars and sugar substitutes.

Remember, health is your God-given right!

For references to any of the information above, you may contact Dr. Eric Jaszewski at eric@pierceresults.com.

Osteoporosis and "The Bone Drug Deception"

Every year tens of millions of prescriptions are given for drugs said to treat and prevent osteoporosis.  They're called "bisphosphonates".  Drugs like Boniva, Fosamax, and Actonel gross nearly $8.3 billion in annual sales, and they're marketed primarily to women.  I'll bet we can all think of at least one person we know taking a bisphosphonate drug on a regular basis.

What is "osteoporosis"?

Osteoporosis is characterized by weak, fragile bones, and will affect nearly 50% of ALL people statistically at some point during their lifetime.

What causes it?

Not enough calcium of course, right!?!...NOPE!  We drink more milk and take more calcium supplements now than ever before, and osteoporosis drug sales have DOUBLED in the last 5 years!  Why?  Because we are not addressing the true cause of this issue...a lack of proper health.  Do any of us really think the body was designed for osteoporosis and fractures??  Of course not!  And what are doctors doing to combat a life's worth of bad choices?..."Take this drug."...Give me a break!

(To learn more about why calcium intake is not the problem, you may want to read The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know Could Kill You by Dr. Robert Thompson.)

What exactly are these drugs supposed to do?

Well, it's pretty simple.  They're given to people with decreased bone density for the purpose of restoring healthy bone density and preventing potentially dangerous fractures.  So, doctors will do a bone density scan on a patient called "dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA, formerly DEXA)".  When they see the bone as being osteoporotic, or brittle, they'll usually prescribe some form of a bisphosphonate drug.  This drug will then do 2 things:

1. Abnormally glue calcium to bone in unhealthy patterns
2. Kill osteoclasts (the parts of your bones that kill old bone so new bone can be produced)

You see, there are osteoblasts and osteoclasts.  An easy way to remember what they do is to note the only letters that make them different.  The "B" in osteo"B"lasts stands for "build", because these are the bone cells that build new bone.  The "C" in osteo"C"lasts stands for "cut", and as stated above they are the bone cells that cut away old bone to make way for newer bone to be laid down.

These drugs will give the illusion of thicker bones, when what is left are actually swollen, chaotically disorganized, weaker bones.  This not only won't solve the real problem, but can lead to more fractures in the future.

Are there any side effects to these drugs?

• Severe pain - In 2008, the FDA issued a warning saying, "severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle (musculoskeletal) pain in patients taking bisphosphonates."
• Atrial fibrillation - and the drug they'll give you for this causes...an increase in fractures!
• Arterial plaque formation
• Rupturing of atherosclerotic plaque (causes strokes and heart attacks)
• Rotting jaw bone
• Inflammation to the digestive system (increased risk of ulcers)
• Severe eye inflammation and possible blindness
• Liver damage
• Esophageal cancer
• Renal (kidney) failure
• Skin reactions
• Hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels)

Is there anything I can do to naturally prevent osteoporosis?

1. Eat - Eat foods designed for your genetic makeup (organic, free-range meats and grass-fed beef; organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables; organic, raw nuts and seeds)
2. Avoid dairy - high in protein and low in phosphorous, a combination that raises acidity in the body and is buffered by taking calcium out of bone
3. Avoid processed foods - cause chemical and metabolism problems that will decrease bone density
4. Eat onions - high in "gamma-glutamyl peptides" (shown to increase bone density)
5. Eat more natural protein - free range eggs and grass-fed beef (contain amino acids critical to bone health)
6. Avoid gluten - found in many grains, wheat, barley, rye, oats, and even spelt (shown to decrease bone density, as well as cause a variety of other inflammatory issues)
7. Take an omega-3 supplement - a good animal based, molecularly distilled omega-3 supplement is very important for building healthy bones
8. Avoid omega-6 - found in processed vegetable oils like corn, safflower, and soy
9. Take Vitamin D3 - shown to help body absorb calcium; best natural source is sunlight exposure, however a good cod liver oil can also aid in maintaining healthy Vitamin D blood levels
10. Weight bearing exercise - since the body is intelligently designed, it responds to bone stress by building stronger bones

Remember, health is your God-given right!

Dr. Eric Jaszewski can be reached at eric@pierceresults.com for further consultation.

"Super-Sanitize Me!": The Anti-biotic and Anti-bacterial Crisis

I was out to eat several days ago and noticed a mother using a popular brand of hand sanitizer on her children...5 times throughout the meal!!!  I work with patients on a daily basis who have these things attached to their key chains!  Apparently spending 5 extra seconds to search for it in their purse or pocket would simply put too much strain on their immune system...give me a break!  It's time to wake up people!

Though antibiotics can be miraculous in their treatment of some severe bacterial infections, misuse and overuse has created a race of "super-bugs" that we are now forced to live with.  This comes from strains developing a resistance to these medications due to repeated and prolonged exposure.

Let's think logically.  The human race has been around for a loooonnnnnng time, and every shred of evidence indicates that our bodies were designed for self-healing and regulation beyond our wildest dreams!  Do we really think we need to live in a completely sterile environment because our bodies are so fragile?...a body that pumps blood through nearly 100,000 miles of blood vessels, propels a sneeze at 100 mph, controls temperature, blood pressure, hormone regulation...and we're worried about being "too dirty" or our kids getting a sniffle or a fever??  And furthermore, we use more antibacterial sanitizers and antibiotics now than ever before, yet we get more and more sick every year!  We're so afraid of dirt and bacteria, yet nearly 90% of our bodies are made of bacteria for crying out loud! 

When we overuse antibacterials and antibiotics, we destroy healthy bacteria in our bodies as well, many of which are NEEDED to maintain a properly functioning immune system.  You see, the reason our bodies are 90% bacteria is because we live in a "symbiotic" relationship with them.  This means they need us to survive, and we need them too.  It's a partnership!  When we unnaturally kill bacteria with antibiotics over and over and over again, we destroy our natural immunity.

The common cold strikes most children 3-8 times a year.  60% of the time, doctors put children on antibiotics (Journal of Family Practice 1996; 42:357--361)...for the common cold! Multiply that by 8 and you've completely destroyed that child's immune response!

Nearly 40% of children who visit the doctor leave with a prescription for antibiotics.  Many times this is done when a viral infection is suspected (which antibiotics DO NOT work for) just to be "on the safe side".  What we now know is that although your child may initially get "better" a bit faster, the more times they have these antibiotics, the more sick they usually get, the more school they'll miss, and the more stubborn their infections will become.

So why are doctors continuing to do this??

Many say because parents expect them to!(Pediatrics 1998; 101:163--165)  They feel they should be leaving with something!  It's wrong for doctors to comply with these expectations, but parents need to also start taking more responsibility.  We need to learn more about the body, what it can do, and what materials it needs to do it!

So what can I do to avoid antibiotics?

When you see your pediatrician, say something like, "If there is any way to improve my child's health without antibiotics, that's the route I'd prefer to take."  If you let your doctor know, usually they'll comply.  If they don't, find a new doctor!

Vitamin D is another great remedy for colds and flus, and something I put all of patients on for health maintenance!

So when should I use antibiotics?

Typically, 75% of all antibiotics are given for sore throats, bronchitis, colds, sinus infections, and ear infections.  The CDC and Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines for antibiotic use most recently in 2004, for which I have summarized the important parts for you:

• Most of the time, strep throat is determined by simply looking in the mouth.  This is not enough and a Strep Test MUST be done to confirm.
• Bronchitis RARELY warrants antibiotics.
• Antibiotics should NOT be given for the common cold.
• Unless nasal discharge AND cough are present without improvement for 10-14 days, antibiotics should NOT be given to most children with sinus infections.

Personally, I have seen ALL of the above mentioned conditions improve in children AND adults WITHOUT antibiotics!  Usually, chiropractic and some nutritional modification does the trick!

It's pretty simple.  Children (and adults!) are designed for health.  Feed them the right foods!  Keep them active!  And keep them away from prescription drugs as best you can!  We ARE our environments.  Start asking yourself about your or your child's environment.  What kind of cleaners or detergents do you use?  Shower and hygiene products?  What foods are you eating/serving?  How active are you?  How do you talk to yourself/your child?  Positive and encouraging?  Or negative and abusive?

Every single thing you or your child think, do, or eat has an impact on who you are and who you will become...without exception!  Keep all aspects of your environment healthy and life-giving and you'll produce a level of health your friends and relatives could only dream of!  It is possible!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

The "No Trans Fat" Cover-up!

The “low-fat” and “no-fat” culture that has been created in America has done more to hurt us than help us.  Think about it.  Products labeled as “Low fat” or “0 grams of fat” or even “No trans fat!” are being consumed more and more every day.  And yet, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes/obesity rates continue to climb every year at alarming rates.  Is it fat that’s the problem?  Of course not…it’s the kind of fat we need to be worrying about.  Some fats, like Omega-3 fats, are not only safe to consume…but you actually NEED them for your cells, and ultimately your entire body to function properly.  So what is the real villain here??  Trans fats!!!

Trans fats are formed through a process called “hydrogenation”, where hydrogen is added to heated vegetable oils.  The result is trans fat.  This fat is known to keep foods from spoiling, promising a longer shelf-life.  It’s also relatively inexpensive.  Of course this means more profits for food manufacturers.

“So they added some hydrogen…so what?”

This process makes a completely unnatural fat that wreaks havoc inside our bodies.  Trans fat consumption has been linked to the following:

• inflammation
• cancer
• diabetes
• decreased immune function
• problems with sexual reproduction
• obesity
• asthma
• interfering with Omega-3 fat processing
• increasing LDL and decreasing HDL cholesterol (a deadly combination!)
• heart disease

In fact, studies have shown that consuming only 1 gram of trans fat daily increases one's risk or heart disease by 20% (Journal of the American Heart Association, 2007)!!!  I would bet most people consume dozens of grams daily.  Do the math.  Is it any wonder that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America!?!

"So why isn't the government doing anything?"

Trans fats have been running wild for nearly 40 years unchecked.  Finally, in 2006, the U.S. government mandated all foods display the amount of trans fat on the packaging.  Unfortunately, the FDA allows manufacturers to round down on their ingredient totals.  The final ruling said that anything with 0.5 grams of trans fat or less per serving could be labeled as "0 grams of trans fat!".  Therefore, if you have 20 servings of something with 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, they can legally say "0 grams of trans fat", and you're actually consuming 10 full grams after you've eaten the whole thing...I know...shocking.

"So how do I know if something really has trans fat?"

You have to be a detective of sorts.  Another name for trans fat is "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oil.  No matter what the package says...READ THE INGREDIENTS!!!  If you see those words in qoutes above, you're eating trans fats!  If you don't...you're NOT!  That simple!

Unfortunately, our wellbeing often takes a backseat to maximizing profits.  You MUST be proactive with your health.  Never forget, our bodies are designed to heal and function optimally, but we need to provide it with the proper nutrients and steer clear of toxins like trans fat!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

Coffee: How Bad Is It...Really?

With over 400 billion cups consumed per year, coffee is the most popular drink in the world.  Over half the population in the U.S. consumes coffee on a daily basis.  The average American coffee drinker will consume nearly 10 pounds of it in a year's time, and about 400 million cups are drank everyday in our country!  Something consumed this much deserves a closer look.

First, why do people drink coffee?

Though some do drink it for the taste, most are anticipating an energy "boost" to propel them through their day.  This of course is provided by the caffeine present in coffee.  Many swear that without it, they'd never be able to "get going" in the morning and would be physically tired and mentally foggy throughout their day.

Hasn't coffee been shown to help some diseases?

It's true that coffee has been shown in certain studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and even improve short term memory. This is most likely due to the antioxidants found in coffee that are known to have healing benefits.

So I guess coffee is safe then…right?

Wrong!!! Drinking coffee for its “health” benefits would be like smoking cigarettes to inhibit your appetite and avoid obesity! While we all know obesity’s negative effects on your overall health, it would be crazy to prescribe cigarettes as an obesity treatment. Are you all with me on this!?!

So how is coffee bad for my health?

Let’s get right down to it folks…coffee is a drug. And like all drugs, along with its “benefits” come a variety of side-effects, such as:

• Increased risk of stomach cancer
• Increased risk of leukemia
• Interference with your body’s ability to use water and promote fluid loss
• Raising blood cholesterol levels
• Massively raising insulin levels (wake up diabetics!!!)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stroke
• Damaging blood vessels
• Interference with the body’s ability to use folate, and vitamins B12 and B6 (life threatening)
• Prostate and other cancers (due to pesticide use)
• Parkinson’s disease (pesticides)
• Miscarriages (pesticides)
• Adrenal gland burn-out (due to over stimulation)
• Osteoporosis (from metabolic damage and increased blood acidity)
• Insomnia
• A rise in blood pressure and stress hormone levels
• Heart palpitations
• A sensation of jitteriness and nervousness
• Symptoms of anxiety, especially if you already have a panic or anxiety disorder
• Depletion of iron and calcium levels in women
• AND increasing your risk of heart disease (America’s #1 killer)

But it’s the only way I know to get a “pick-me-up”!

The caffeine in coffee only provides a fake and temporary jolt of energy. It actually depletes your B vitamins, which leads to more of an energy shortage! If you’re tired all the time, your body is telling you something is wrong! Start listening to your body and making the right lifestyle changes to naturally enhance your health.

Our bodies are divinely designed. Self-healing has absolutely been PROVEN to be a part of our plan.

Remember, health is your God given right!

For my personal recommendations on coffee substitutes and raising your energy naturally, please email me at eric@pierceresults.com

The Low-Down On Lowering Cholesterol

This is a long, but life saving blog post...so fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself!

I bet we all know someone who has been diagnosed with "hyper-cholesterol-emia" (a.k.a. high cholesterol), and it's almost a guarantee they were prescribed at least one cholesterol lowering medication to achieve "healthy" levels.  This of course is due to the fact that cholesterol "increases the risk of heart disease," right?...WRONG!  Saying that is like saying yellow fingers cause lung cancer!  Increased cholesterol is absolutely something we see when heart disease is present, however, did the yellow fingers cause the lung cancer, or did the cigarettes cause it?  Cholesterol is being framed here for something it did not do!  Let me explain...

First off, what is cholesterol?

• a waxy substance found in the blood stream and ALL your cells

What does it do?

• Helps produce cell membranes, hormones, Vitamin D and bile acids (digest fats)
• Also helps in formation of memories and neurological function
• Vital to nearly EVERY function in your body

Where is it made?

• 75% of it is made in your liver

Isn't there a "good" and "bad" cholesterol?

• Many have called HDL "good" and LDL "bad" types of cholesterol.  The truth is that your cholesterol levels are always appropriate to your external and internal environment, which in the end is almost always dictated by your lifestyle choices.

So what causes my cholesterol to go up?

• More often than not, inflammation is what causes cholesterol levels to rise.  Let's use a cut on your finger as an example.  What happens?  Well, first your blood vessels will constrict so that you don't bleed to death and your blood thickness will increase to make clotting easier.  Some might call this high blood pressure...insane!  Next your immune system will kick into high gear and cells will start to multiply to repair any damage.
• It's no different with arteries, only the "scar" is plaque.

So what substance will be sent to aid in cellular repair when my arteries are damaged?

• CHOLESTEROL!!!  It shows on the scene AFTER the damage is already done.

And what is medicine's answer for this occurrence?  To artificially lower your cholesterol levels with a drug.  Does this sound nuts to anyone else?!?!  Of course they must manufacture these drugs so they don't affect any other bodily function...right??...WRONG again!  Low cholesterol levels have been linked with the following conditions:

• depression
• suicide
• violent behavior
• aggression
• increased risk of cancer
• increased risk of Parkinson's

...just to name a few!

So how low should my levels be?  And who decides?

• before 2004, LDL levels of 130 were considered "healthy"
• U.S. government's National Cholesterol Education Program panel then advised they be lowered to 100 and even 70 for "high risk" individuals
• levels that low almost ALWAYS need one OR MORE drugs to achieve
• in 2006 a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found these numbers to have no scientific basis

So who was on this panel?

• 8 of the 9 people on this panel had direct financial connections to the companies producing the cholesterol lowering drugs...I know...shocking.

Do these drugs have side effects? (come on now!)

• depletion of CoQ10 (important for heart health and muscle function)
• rhabdomyolysis (muscle pain and weakness)
• polyneuropathy
• dizziness
• cognitive impairment and memory loss
• increased risk of cancer
• decreased immune system function
• depression
• liver problems
• Lou Gehrig's disease

So do these drugs even reduce the risk for heart attacks?

• Business Week exposed a Pfizer claim that Lipitor reduced heart attack incidence by 36%
• What the study actually showed was that 3% of placebo patients got heart attacks and that 2% taking Lipitor got them...really a 1% improvement...but Pfizer used 1% divided by 3% to come up with their 36% number...again, shocking and misleading!
• So basically, you're exposing yourself to all the conditions mentioned above for a 1% improvement...

Ask yourself...is it worth it?  You're better off learning what causes chronic inflammation and using natural ways to reduce it. 

So what causes chronic inflammation?

• Oxidized cholesterol (cholesterol that has gone rancid, such as that from overcooked, scrambled eggs)
• Eating lots of sugar and grains
• Eating foods cooked at high temperatures
• Eating trans fats
• Improper spinal movement or a sedentary lifestyle
• Smoking
• Emotional stress

So what can I do to naturally reduce inflammation?

• It's easy!  Just follow my Top 10!!!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

(For the references to the information provided in this blog, please email Dr. Eric at eric@pierceresults.com)

"Get FAT!"

Somewhere along the way, fats got a bad rap!  We've all been sucked into the idea that "low fat" and "no fat" means healthy...WRONG!!!  Essential fatty acids, like omega-3's, are extremely important to your health.  In the world of nutrition, the word "essential" means that our bodies don't make it, and that we need to get it in our diet.  Omega-3 fats, like vitamins and minerals, can never be made by our brains or bodies...so if we don't get them in our diet, we won't have enough!

So why should you care about having "enough" omega-3's?  Well, these little guys are the main component of brain cell membranes.  Since your brain coordinates EVERY function of the body (nearly 3 trillion bits of information every second!), this makes omega-3 fats VERY important to your overall health and wellbeing.

"How do I know if I am deficient?"  Studies are showing now that we are ALL deficient.  If you eat a typical western diet, high in grains, dairy, trans-fats, and processed foods...guess what...you're deficient!!!  If you feel you eat a fairly healthy diet, you're probably STILL deficient!

"What kind of Omega-3's should I be getting?"  EPA and DHA omega-3's are two of the most important fats that we all need and that we all don't get enough of.

"What about flax oil?"  Flax oil is a great source of omega-3's, but not EPA and DHA.  These 2 crucial omega-3 fats are only found in wild game and fish.  Vegetable sources simply DO NOT contain EPA and DHA omega-3 fats.

"Can't I just eat more fish?"  Although wild fish contain healthy amounts of EPA and DHA, nearly all sources nowadays are contaminated with mercury, dioxins, and PCB's, making it unsafe to get the omega-3 fats you need to be healthy by simply eating more fish.

"So what conditions have been linked to a lack of EPA/DHA fats?"

• development, learning, and behavioral problems (like ADHD)
• cancer (breast, colon, and prostate)
• heart disease
• stroke
• diabetes
• obesity
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• depression
• skin disorders
• digestive disorders (like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis)
• arthritis
• osteoporosis
• Alzheimer's
• the list goes on, and on, and on!

Last year, Harvard University published a study describing omega-3 deficiency as the 6th leading cause of death in America, killing more than TWICE AS MANY as breast cancer every year!  The best way to make sure you are getting enough is to take a molecularly distilled, animal-based omega-3 supplement that has the proper amounts of EPA and DHA fats.  For my personal recommendation, you can contact me at eric@pierceresults.com!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

"Dr. Eric's Top 10 for 2010"

I'll say it again...our bodies are DESIGNED for HEALTH!!!  My Top 10 for 2010 are simple lifestyle choices that will make ALL the difference in your life.  Following these simple steps will ensure you live a longer, healthier life with more energy and vitality to share with the ones you love!

1. Get your spine checked by a chiropractor!
• The health of your spine has a HUGE impact on your brain, overall health, and wellbeing!
2. Get more sleep!
• Sleep recharges your batteries, and not getting enough increases your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes.  Start with an extra 30 min!
3. Eat the right foods, and eat until you're full!
• Humans are really only designed to eat organic, grass-fed beef and free-range meats, local fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, and water...THAT'S IT!!!  When you "eat to live", you can eat as much as you want!
4. Move it!
• Forget elevators and escalators...take the stairs!  Always take the next easiest step.  Remember, our bodies NEED movement to express health.  Start slow, stay committed and I promise you'll get there!
5. Get more sun!
• The sun's rays combine with cholesterol in our skin to make Vitamin D.  Vitamin D has been found to be VERY important for nearly every single thing your body does!
6. Relax!
• Find natural ways to reduce stress!  Stress is now known to cause nearly 85% of ALL illness!
7. Keep your mouth clean!
• Inflammation causes tons of problems in the body.  Gingivitis is a leading cause of widespread inflammation.  Eat right!  Brush and floss daily with non-toxic ingredients!
8. Eat some bugs!
• Our bodies are 90% bacteria.  Taking a good probiotic supplement daily will help replenish your body with the bacteria you need to be healthy!
9. Get fat!
• Somehow fats got a bad rap!  Essential fatty acids (EFA's), like Omega-3's, are extremely important for the health of your heart, brain, and pretty much every cell in your body!  Get a good supplement! 
10. Pray!
• As a Christian, I have definitely experienced the healing power of prayer.  Having a belief in a higher power has actually been proven to increase happiness, overall health, and longevity!

Never forget, it's always easier to add something good before you take away something bad!

Follow these simple steps for a healthy, happy, and grace-filled 2010!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

"Let There Be Light!" - The Truth About Vitamin D

News about Vitamin D is everywhere!!!  So what's the truth?  First let's remember what the only 2 things are that lead to real health...sufficiency and purity.  That is, sufficiency in the nutrients we genetically require for health and purity in their quality.  Vitamin D is no different!  God, or nature, or whatever you want to call it, gave us all we needed to produce sufficient, pure amounts of Vitamin D...the SUN!!!  That's right!  We've been sold a bill of goods that the sun's rays are harmful to us...quite to the contrary!  There are certain ultraviolet rays called "UVB" rays that are actually very important and needed for our bodies to create Vitamin D.  You see, life began many years ago by the equator, and continued there for generations.  In these tropical regions of the world there was never a shortage of sunlight, and virtually no one had Vitamin D problems.  It wasn't until we moved further north, started covering up our skin, working indoors, and destroying our diet that Vitamin D deficiency became an issue.

When our skin is exposed to sunlight, 4 UVB "photons" will combine with 1 molecule of cholesterol in our skin to form 1 ring of human D3.  This inactive form of Vitamin D will go on to the liver, kidneys, and other surrounding tissues and become the Vitamin D our body needs to function properly.

Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to:

• Osteoporosis
• Ricket's
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Decreased immune function
• Inflammation
• Age-related DNA damage
• Skin conditions (psoriasis, eczema)
• Insomnia
• Hearing loss
• Muscle pain
• Periodontal disease
• Poor athletic performance
• Age-related macular degeneration (vision)
• Myopia (near-sightedness)
• Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• Autism
• Seizures
• Diabetes Type-1
• Fertility
• Mental disorders (depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's)
• Migraines
• Asthma
• Cystic fibrosis
• CANCER!!! (breast, colon, prostate, lung (early stage), non-hodgkin’s lymphoma, and melanoma)

Some are saying Vitamin D should be used as a therapy for these illnesses among others.  As a wellness practitioner, I am more inclined to say simply that human beings on this earth were designed to have sunlight exposure and therefore sufficient Vitamin D levels.  Anyone deficient should be working harder to get more healthy sun exposure or making up for it with an acceptable alternative.  To learn more about how to achieve healthy Vitamin D levels, healthy sun exposure, the dangers of some sunscreens, and to get my personal Vitamin D supplement recommendation please email me at eric@pierceresults.com!!!

Health is your God-given right!

"Let's Eat Some Bugs"

Now of course I am not talking about picking up a bug from the garden and having at it...although I have heard they're good for you! The bugs I'm talking about are BACTERIA...healthy bacteria that reside in our bodies. Our bodies are made up of roughly 100 trillion cells, and guess how many of those cells are human...only 10%! The rest...yup...ALL bacteria…which means 90% of ALL the cells that make up our bodies are not even human! Kind of makes you wonder about the next time you look in the mirror at the "human" staring back at you...and we're 90% bacteria! Anyway, the point is that our bodies have evolved to live in a "symbiotic" (partnership) relationship with these bacteria...meaning they need us to survive, but we need them just as much! They are important for healthy immune function, digestive function, body weight, fat levels, vitamin production, skin health, and on, and on, and on.

There are actually 500 different kinds of bacterial species, weighing a total of 2-3 pounds that live right inside of you! Of these many kinds of bacteria that are in a healthy individual, not all of them promote health. The important thing is to make sure we have the right amount of good bacteria we're genetically designed to have to ensure our health and wellbeing. The ratio is EVERYTHING! You see, the healthy and harmful bacteria all fight for the same cell attachment sites. This means if you have the right ratio of healthy to harmful bacteria (about 6:1), your body will be able to perform to its genetic potential...which is ALWAYS healthy!!!

So what amount of the genetically required healthy bacteria do most Americans have???...About one millionth!!! And why?? Well, the first exposure to healthy bacteria comes from your delivery through the birth canal. Unfortunately, many doctors are delivering by C-section these days, and this robs the newborn of this crucial bacterial exposure. Secondly, antibiotics are generously used today with many people having multiple rounds on a regular basis. These antibiotics kill harmful bacteria AS WELL AS healthy bacteria. It’s a double edged sword! You’re killing the ones that may be harming you, but also killing the ones protecting you at the same time…not a great trade-off. Furthermore, many people are in an anti-bacterial frenzy, disinfecting everything in sight and every part of their body. This also unfortunately kills many of the healthy bacteria they would have been exposed to. Our diets definitely play a major role too. Modern diets are dangerously deficient in fruits and vegetable fiber, and toxic from dairy, refined sugars, alcohol, and prescription drugs. All of these promote illness-causing bacteria and yeast and obstruct the survival of healthy bacteria. Finally, our modern farming, food processing, and food preparation methods are so incongruent with what we’re genetically designed to be practicing that we've basically obliterated any chance we have to maintain a healthy intestinal environment.

"That's OK Doc...I eat yogurt with probiotics in it!!!"...Sorry yogurt lovers! Not only is it made from dairy, which we are not genetically designed to consume after infancy, but most yogurts are made from pasteurized milk! This process kills any decent components milk has in it. Furthermore, most yogurts have high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners to improve taste. These chemicals also kill any good bacteria that might be present, leaving your yogurt with strains that are not alive when you eat them. And finally, most dairy bacteria are "non-adhesive", which means they’ll mostly just pass through the intestines and go “out with the wash”!

So what can I do to increase my healthy bacteria?? Well, since the human intestinal bacteria make-up was established before agricultural became popular, start eating like they did before! You’ll want to organic, fresh-picked, local fruits and veggies. You’ll also want to eat organic, raw nuts and seeds as well as organic, free-range meats and grass-fed beef. Stay away from dairy, goat’s milk, soy, wheat, and corn. No one EVER ate these things for almost 200,000 years and our ancestors had NONE of the chronic diseases that plague modern man (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.)…and you can take that to the bank!

You’ll also want to get a good probiotic supplement. Unfortunately, antibacterial substances and antibiotics are everywhere and it seems that supplementation is the only means to ensure repopulation of the essential healthy bacteria to our intestines. When choosing your supplement, be very careful! Make sure the company has researched what bacteria our ancestors had. Make sure they’re providing you with the same amounts our ancestors consumed as well. Also, make sure your probiotic has NO MAGNESIUM STEARATE (a flow agent to load the capsules; can lead to a bile film in your intestines and block nutrient uptake) and NO TITANIUM DIOXIDE (a known cancer-causing agent). Finding a good high-quality probiotic will be a difficult task, but definitely worth it when you consider the benefits of restoring your gut to a healthy amount of life-promoting bacteria. I personally have found a brand I am very happy with, and would be happy to refer anyone to it. Please email me at eric@pierceresults.com!

Remember, health is your God-given right!

God bless!

"It's not my fault...it's genetic!!!"

OK, let’s dispel the genetics myth once and for all! I hear it every day, “Yes I do have high blood pressure (or cholesterol, or diabetes, or cancer, or, or, or…fill in the blank!)…but it runs in my family.” Folks, ask ANY geneticist when the last time our genome (genetic code) actually changed and you’ll get the same answer across the board. What do you think?...50 years ago?...100?...how about 1,000?...The last change to the human genome actually occurred around 40,000 years ago! What significance does this have to so-called “genetic” illness? Well, you need only look at the major killers today. Nearly everyone in America dies from either cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes/obesity related illness, and/or the medication they’re taking from any of the above. If you go back only 100 years, these diseases were nearly non-existent…let me say that again…they BARELY existed! Nowadays, almost no one dies from old age.

These are not genetic diseases! If they were, they would have been around for thousands of years! They are intelligent adaptations to the chronically stressful environments we place ourselves in day after day. Our body is genetically adapted to require a certain amount of physical activity, certain types of foods, and certain types of thoughts and emotions to express health properly. Without them, there is no drug or surgery that will EVER give this to you, and you almost certainly will die from one of the aforementioned conditions.

I don’t say this to discourage, but to empower! When you know the truth, it’s far easier to make the changes you need to improve the quantity and quality of your life. A geneticist will also tell you that it appears humans are genetically designed to live about 120 years…and what’s the average age people live to today…77? Pitiful!!! And this is not 77 years of health, happiness, and vitality. Typically this means 64 years of “functional” life. The last 13 years are usually dysfunctional and lacking in quality, not to mention filled with multiple drugs, frequent hospital stays, and a massive amount of money spent on it all.

So what’s the answer? Free healthcare for everyone?? That’s another post, but OF COURSE NOT!!! You have to find a doctor who understands the innate genetic requirements the body needs to express health and start implementing them! Turning a toxic and deficient body into one of purity and sufficiency is the ONLY way to avoid the pandemic of death plaguing our nation. No matter how much money and time is spent on the newest miracle drug or surgery, they will never work because neither move you closer to sufficiency or purity, and those are the ONLY things that can restore and preserve health!

What is Health?

I see around 20 new patients in the clinic each week. When we sit down to go over their health history, which is usually plastered with black ink describing ailments from pain and muscle rigidity to cancer and multiple sclerosis, I hear the same declaration time and again. "I feel I am pretty healthy." What do people usually mean when they say this? Are they stating that their bodies are expressing their fullest potential for health and proper function? Quite to the contrary. What they usually mean is that they are either asymptomatic or have symptoms they feel everyone has, so they MUST be normal. "Do you ever get headaches?"..."Just the normal ones..." This is lunacy and could not be further from the truth!

How many times have we heard of someone "coming down" with cancer suddenly? We hear people say things like, "I don't get it...yesterday they were fine." Or how about a heart attack that takes someones life? "They were completely healthy one day and the next...bam." Haven't we all heard this before? The truth is that these diseases don't appear over night. In fact, 60% of people who suffer from a myocardial infarction (heart attack) are symptom free before they have it! It would be absurd to think, however, that the day before their heart attack they had a healthy heart. You see, health accumulates over time like drops of water in a bucket. The more healthy choices you make, the more healthy and "full" your "bucket" becomes!

The truth is that cancer, cardiovascular (heart) disease, and diabetes/obesity related illnesses kill nearly 90% of the people in America each year, and that these are all PREVENTABLE illnesses!!!

The bottom line is that the body is NOT programmed for sickness and early death, and there has NEVER been one study showing it has. Every study EVER about the nature of the body has always shown it to be self-healing, self-regulating, and capable of restoring and maintaining superior levels of health. Instead of asking the questions, "What's wrong with me? How can I treat it?" we should be asking, "What nutrients does my body need to express its fullest potential for health? What is toxic to my body that could be driving it away from health?"

If you want to arrive at the correct answer, you MUST ask the right question!

This is the wellness paradigm and remains the ONLY way to achieve true health!